Electrically-connecting device.



R. J. BELL.

ELECTRIGALLY CONNECTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY1E),1913.

1,090,190. Patented Mar. 17, 1914.

RAIB Ebb.

wirlmeooeo ROBERT JAMES BELL, OF HARVEY, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRICALLY-CON NECTIN G DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 17, 19141.

Application filed July 19, 1913. Serial No. 779,992.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT J AMns BELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harvey, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrically-Connecting Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to electrically connecting devices, and it more articularly relates to an improved device fiir clamping an electric conductor, cable, etc., to a railway rail.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive device of this character for quickly and easily clamping a wire or cable on to the base flange of a railway rail; to provide a device of this character which is comparatively inexpensive, which may be easily applied by an inexperienced person, and to provide a device of this character which is thoroughly practical and cfficient.

In the accompanying drawings, which supplement this specification, Figure 1 illus tratcs a vertical section through a railway rail and a side elevation View of my improved connecting device clamped on the rail; and Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of the rail with the device clamped thereon.

In these drawings, in which similar reference characters correspond with similar parts throughout the several views, an ordinary railway rail is designated by the numeral 5; while the device which con: stitutes-my invention comprises a'hookedbolt 6, a contact plate 7, a clamping plate 8, a lock washer 9 and a'nut 10, the plates 7 and 8 are apertured zit- 11 for the reception of the bolt 6, the latter being provided with a threaded end 12. The plate 7 is provided with spaced lugs or ribs 13 and 1.4, between which is located'a groove 15 which is of sufficicnt width to accommodate the edge portion of'the rail flange.

The cable or conductor member 16 is clamped between the upper ends of the plates 7 and 8, which. are provided with semi-cylindrical grooves or clamping surfaces 17 which are in registry with each other when the apertures 11 are in registry. The hooked end of the bolt 6 is provided with a recessl} adapted to receive an edge of the rail flange, as illustrated.

The several parts of this device may be made of any suitable conducting material, or it may be made, in part or in whole, of nonconducting material if found desirable. It is obvious that these devices may be made adjustable by extending the threads 12 in either direction, and it is also obvious that ble of use with rails and beams other than railway rails, and is susceptible of many uses other than those specified herein.

It will be seen that I have provided a device of this character which is fully capable of attaining the foregoing objects in a thoroughly practical manner.

I claim:

1. In combination with a rail, a wire con: necting device therefor comprising an elongated contact plate intersecting the flange of the rail and being provided with'a recess intermediateits length to accommodate a marginal portion of such flange, a clamping pla'to coacting with the contact plate, such contact plate and clamping plate being provided with registering apertures at a point below the flange of the rail when in operative position, said contact plate and clamping plate being adapfdil to have extended thcrcbctween a conductor, an elongated member having one end formed into a hook to engage the opposite flange of the rail while the op )osite extremity of such memher is freclv msertible through the registering openings of the plates, and a retaining member ond wise adjustable on such member and adapted to bear against the clamping plate and serving to hold the contact plate and the clamping plate against displacement from the flange and maintaining such plates in proper engagement with the conductor.

2. As a newarticlc of manufacture, a wire connecting device comprising an elongated member having gne extremity. formed to produce a hook, while the other extremity thereof is threaded, plates loosely mounted on such member and capable of movement elongated member and adapted to coact with 10 lengthwise thereof, the adjacent faces of the plates. such plates being provided with registering In testimony whereof I hereunto aifix my grooves, the free fafie. of the innermost plate signature in the presenceof two witnesses.

5 ein rovided Wit a transverse roove extending entirely thereecross and in close ROBERT JAMES BELL proximity to the elongated member when i/Vitnesses: applied thereon, and a, clamping member en- BERT A. IRELAND,- gageable with the threaded extremity of the EUGENE D. Vanna. 

